Vietnam Era films began to appear, including Hal Ashby’s Coming Home, Sidney Furie’s The Boys in Company C, Ted Post’s Go Tell the Spartans , and Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter (1978).
Philips introduced the video laser disc (aka laserdisc and LD) — the first optical disc storage media for the consumer market. Pioneer began selling home LaserDisc players in 1980. Eventually, the laserdisc systems would be replaced by the DVD (“digital versatile disc”) format in the late 1990s. Disney licensed its cartoon compilations to MCA’s DiscoVision – these were the first Disney videos available to the public.
In early March of 1978, Charlie Chaplin’s body was stolen from the grave where it was buried two months earlier in a small cemetery in the Swiss village of Corsier-sur-Vevey. The body was held for ransom by the extortionist grave robbers, but their plot was foiled (and they were arrested) when the body was recovered two months later near Lake Geneva and subsequently reburied in a new, solid cement grave.
We lost Jack Oakie, Oskar Homolka, John Cazale, Will Geer, Mark Robson, Charles Boyer, Robert Shaw, Gig Young, and Ed Wood. A new generation of actors made their film debuts including: Kevin Bacon, John Belushi, Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ed Harris, Michael Keaton, John Malkovich, Liam Neeson, and Christopher Reeve.
Andy Gibbs “Shadow Dancing” (a song I don’t even remember) was named #1 song of the year by Billboard. Elbow Room by James Alan McPherson won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The Gin Game by Donald M Coburn won for Drama. Time magazine’s Man of the Year was Teng Hsiao‐ping, regarded by many as the official most responsible for the People’s Republic of China’s modernization.
After murdering investigating Congressman Leo Ryan and his companions, cult leader Jim Jones ordered the 900 inhabitants of Jonestown in Guyana to commit suicide by drinking cyanide-laced punch. Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David accords. The first “test-tube” baby was born. The first ever mobile cellular phone was introduced.
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The list I plan to select from is here. Suggestions and warnings will be warmly appreciated.
Die Schweizermacher Swiss (AKA The Swssmakers) – unseen yet but highly regarded and a well done comedy (if it is) ticks my boxes so it’s a “one day”
Go Tell the Spartans – I see you mentioned it but it’s not on the viewing list. I realise it mightn’t reach your criteria (7+) but it may be underrated judging by what I’ve read. Unseen but a “one day”
re Dawn of the Dead – be careful what you get as there are many alternates. This link is comprehensive and is added here without any tip as to what is best in my eyes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077402/alternateversions
Moliere (French?) unseen, highly regarded and on the “one day” list
Yagyu Clan Conspiracy (many alternate names) – not sure if seen but if Sonny Chiba is on song how could it not be there LOL
Panna a netvor – recommended in the past, reimagining of Beauty and the Beast simply brilliant and a ***************must watch**************. From memory slow to start but keep at it.
Hi no tori (many alternate names) really unsure on this one (unseen). Opinions (little there on IMDB see Letterbox’d) vary from masterpiece to trash (ignore rating may be very much up to the viewer) obscure but intrigued enough to be on my “one day”
Yours is an interesting list – looking forward to oncoming posts. Some seen and some “she won’t have that….oh she does!” Good to see “class” horrors instead of trashies LOL
The only one I could find that was readily available to me was Panna a nevtor. Thanks so much for the tip! I loved Herz’s “The Cremator” and am really excited to see this.
(forgot to include)
The Incident – Unseen and not heard of before but this review
https://itsamadmadblog2.blogspot.com/2016/04/trial-and-error-yoshitaro-nomuras.html
and mention of linked other movies (and for you courtroom) got me excited.
Thanks. I couldn’t find The Incident in a form available to me. But I do have Nomura’s The Demon on my list and am looking forward to that.
I remember well the promise of laserdiscs for film buffs everywhere, especially the commentary feature. Of course, we know what happened. . . . Most of us preferred to record (and collect) video tapes. Then it was on to DVDs!
My boyfriend’s father had a laser disc player back in the day. He was inordinately proud of his expensive toy. I think they had to use multiple discs to fit one movie. And these were very expensive as well. Thank heavens for DVDs! and TCM!